Spin by Rebecca Caprara

This book was really good. Have you heard the myth of Arachne, the woman who challenged Athena to a weaving contest and got turned into a spider? Well this book tells the tale from Arachne’s perspective. Arachne’s mother taught Arachne everything she knows about weaving, and Arachne is good at it. But no matter how good her weaving is, her village doesn’t like her. She’s ostracized for her looks and her personality by everyone but her family and her best friend. As Arachne grows, so does her skill. But then disaster strikes—and just keeps coming. Arachne and her best friend Celandine flee to a larger city, where they can make their fortunes away from everything that’s hurt them. Arachne’s renown as a weaver grows quickly, eventually drawing the attention of Athena herself. This is a beautiful commentary on how women were treated in ancient times, and how none of the gods seemed to care. Trigger warnings (possible spoilers): Death of a child, death of a parent, sexual assault, sexism, violence.